Throb
by LilyHellsing
Summary: A headache, a visit. Toonshipping.


I'd like to point out first that this was supposed to be a short ficlet. Like, we're talking a thousand words. Somehow it ended up being almost 4k. How? I've no idea, bahaha. Conscious-writing-streaming or w/e it's called, let's blame that.

Second, I wrote this with the hope of finding that balance between innuendo and cute. Did I succeed?

* * *

 _Throb_.

His head ached. Why did it always ache lately? The pills he took begrudgingly hadn't worked much either. It had been suggested by his physician – who was only aware of the situation and on the phone thanks to Mokuba's incessant worrying – that he cut back on his coffee.

Kaiba promptly ended the call.

He did not need that sort of negativity in his life.

Still, his head pulsed. More specifically, his temples protested every time he blinked. At least it felt that way. A thought crossed his mind for a second. Was he going to die? An answer immediately came; he wouldn't, couldn't die…he had too much work to do.

Fresh air was another suggestion from the recently fired physician, before he had crossed the line. Kaiba glanced up at the window he had opened an inch. That counted, right? Scoffing, he went back to the screen.

It was more of a blur than before. Damn it, how was he supposed to…

His phone rang. His eyes saw the first three numbers, the area code. It was American. Perhaps it was that John Suetter he had met a month ago, discussing another theme park in Florida. "What is it?" He answered with a gruff voice, wincing at it himself. _Throb_.

There was a split second of a pause on the other line. It damn well couldn't be a wrong number since only those he intended to have his number had it! "Kaiba-boy, you picked up!" Pegasus.

 _Throb_.

Then again, there were times when his number seemed to…slip through the cracks to undesirables. "Pegasus." The word left his mouth as though he had spat Wheeler's instead. He blamed the headache.

"Aw, why so grumpy? Didn't realize it was me? I haven't changed my number, Kaiba-boy – though the same cannot be said about you." _Throb_. Why was it with every word he wanted nothing more than to grimace? Every happy tone that man emitted made him…well. _Throb_.

Ah, American area code. Pegasus. Of course. "You have thirty seconds, Pegasus." His gaze drifted to the window.

"Well," this time limit had set Pegasus off into a near giggling ramble, "I just so happen to be in town for a convention of sorts when I had the most brilliant idea! Actually, the idea came to me when I was watching a pair of children imitate the great duel of…"

 _Throb_.

Kaiba groaned. Why did he have to be generous with the time limit? Ten seconds, not thirty. He blamed the headache.

Having heard the groan, Pegasus paused and tried again. "What I'm trying to say, Kaiba-boy, is how about you take a break from your work? In exchange for your gracious presence and attention," he was sure to include the last word, least Kaiba sit there playing with his phone, "I offer you a duel."

 _Throb_.

He scoffed despite the pain in his temple. "A duel? You have nothing I want for when I defeat you." Pause. "Except perhaps another hiatus."

"Ouch!" Pegasus exclaimed though it was all too easy to picture that infuriating grin on his face. "How you wound me so! I should think a blast from ol' Blue Eyes would sting less." _Throb_.

"Your thirty seconds are up." His thumb moved blindly to the familiar red End button.

Before he could press it, however, Pegasus purred. "Ah, Kaiba-boy, stop right there. We both know that even if you hang up, you'll think about it. You'll try to work, yes, but then every few minutes, I'll cross your mind. Your gaze will flicker to deck, it was be harder to focus on whatever dull email you were hoping to send. And before you know it, you'll very angrily call me back and bark where to meet and when for the duel before hanging up once more." There was a grin to his next words. "And as much as I enjoy being told just where to place myself…I find myself rather impatient. So let us skip what would take, ah, ten minutes and go straight to the point, hm?"

 _Throb_.

Kaiba tried to grit his teeth in annoyance, but that only furthered the pain. Damn. He growled instead. "Fine, tomorrow at six. Meet me at my office. I'll be sure to tell security not to shoot you on sight."

"How kind of you, Kaiba-bo…" Click.

 _Throb_.

What did he just get himself into?

* * *

Thirty hours later and his headache remained. How was this even possible?! Kaiba had taken pills, had limited himself to just one cup of coffee that day, kept the window open an inch, and looked away from the screen for five minutes every hour. To top it off, he had even gotten a full six hours of sleep that night. Why was he still throbbing?!

It didn't matter, he reasoned, because even if he did remove the headache it would only return once Pegasus opened his big mouth. Which, judging from the frazzled words from his secretary, said man had just appeared. Glancing at the clock, he cursed for Pegasus' timeliness. Six on the dot.

He looked out the window. What a surprise to find the sky dark not with night but with angry clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Flashes of lightning were already apparent. Great, he thought, now he would have to deal with the arena flickering throughout their duel.

With a heavy sigh, Kaiba shut down his computer and stood. The doors opened. "Kaiba-boy!" _Throb_. "Hello there, don't you look…pale and thin. Doesn't Mokuba feed you?"

Kaiba's fingertips twitched. He wanted to press them against his temple, but knew that would only cause more pain from hearing Pegasus' voice. "Pegasus." He greeted in his usual tone. Why some said it was that of coldness, he wasn't sure honestly. It was one of tolerance. After all, he had invited the man over didn't he? "The arena is on the sixteenth floor."

"Lead the way." Pegasus gestured with an arm, smiling though it didn't quite reach his eye. There was something off about the younger CEO, but he couldn't quite tell what.

With his briefcase in hand, Kaiba walked past the man with silver locks. The walk from the office to the elevator was, to his surprise, quiet. He glanced from the corner of his eye to ensure that Pegasus was indeed still there and not…well, he wasn't sure. But there he was at his side, staring ahead with that irritating grin.

 _Throb_.

Kaiba pressed the button. The doors opened, having just delivered the man in red. When the pair stepped in, Kaiba pressed the button that displayed sixteen. The doors shut.

And instantly he regretted it.

"So Kaiba-boy," Pegasus's happy-go-lucky voice was even more irksome in a small space, "have you the flu or maybe even fighting the common cold? Tsk, even the wealthiest get it, you know." _Throb_.

Damn it, Kaiba thought, he walked right into that…literally. He glanced up at the numbers. Thirty. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight. Do not get stuck, he ordered it. Do not.

When he remained silent, Pegasus pressed again. "You haven't fainted on me, have you? I wouldn't be terribly surprised if you had and you kept standing. Just like the most perfect picture of control. Although I suppose that means I'd be able to slap you – in order to wake you, naturally. Or is it mouth-to-mouth that fixes that problem? I always confuse the two to be…"

"Pegasus!" Kaiba shouted, his snarl echoing. "Shut. Up!" _Throb_.

Twenty-two. Twenty-one. Twenty.

"Oh good," Pegasus whispered, "you haven't swooned."

Kaiba gritted his teeth, headache be damned. Just as he made to open his mouth, to growl, the elevator jolted. It stopped. The lights went out. The emergency lights came on. And like a joke, the number shined bright: Eighteen.

Two floors away.

 _Throb_.

"Great." Kaiba dug into his pocket, then froze. He set his briefcase down and dug into the other pocket. Then his hands went to his back pockets, oblivious of how it may have looked to Pegasus beside him. One last hope, he patted his shirt and jacket pockets. "No!" He hissed.

 _Throb_.

His phone…how could he had left it at his desk like a fool?! How?! He always placed it in his pocket as he was leaving the off- Pegasus. His rapid movements stopped. He blamed Pegasus for had he not appeared, his routine wouldn't have been interrupted. And, by proxy, had this headache not been such a problem, he wouldn't have forgotten to think of it.

Understanding the issue, Pegasus lipped his hand into his own pocket. "Have no fear, I've brought my phone." He pressed a button, adding a strange blue hue to the emergency red. When he looked at it, however, he made a 'hm' noise. "No signal."

 _Throb_.

Kaiba groaned as he pressed his face into his palm. Why? He reached over to press the Help button. Silence. He twitched. He pressed it again. Nothing!

"Ah, here's the issue." Pegasus said airily, pointing to a piece of paper above him. "It was last inspected over a year ago. The button is probably disconnected or something to the effect. Funny, that." Shrugging, Pegasus started to unbutton his jacket. "Well, best get comfortable. No telling when it'll start to work again."

Kaiba turned with a snarky comment on his lips when he saw the older man…stripping! "What are you doing?!"

"It's just my jacket, I shouldn't want to get warm, now would I? Warmth only encourages panic in such a small space." He took care to fold his jacket carefully and adjusted his sleeves. "I would recommend something similar to you, Kaiba-boy. Although I would enjoy giving a strike across your flesh, I'd rather not risk damaging my signing hand."

 _Throb_.

He crossed his arms and glared coldly, turning to face him. At least the dim light would help his headache – supposedly. And no screen to stare at. Surely that would offer recovery? Or, at least, until Pegasus undid all his work. When Pegasus reached into his pocket, Kaiba blinked. What now?

He pulled out his deck.

Kaiba blinked once. "You don't seriously intend to duel me in here, do you?" He scoffed.

Pegasus offered a grin. "Come now, Kaiba-boy, how else do you propose spending the next who-knows how long in here? Playing twenty-one questions? Or maybe truth or dare? You don't strike the type."

"How about in silence?" He shot back without pause.

"Hmm, I'm afraid I'm no good at that game." Pegasus carefully sat down with his legs underneath him, grimacing. "Tsk, I just had this dry cleaned too. No matter." He raised his chin, his gaze meeting Kaiba's glare. "Come down to my level, Kaiba." When he wore a darker look, Pegasus added, "How else will you duel me from all the way up there?" _Throb_.

"Just because you seem comfortable at dirtying your clothes does not mean I want to."

Pegasus ran his fingertip over his deck. It rest on the floor next to his knee. "How about…we make a deal. A bet, as it were." This caught Kaiba's attention. "If I lose, I will…cut a lock of my hair. I'll look absolutely ridiculous for several months that way – I'll never want to leave my home." Leaving Kaiba free of him, was the implication.

Before he could further speak as to what he would get if he won, however, Kaiba responded. "Deal!" He made a swish of his coat, difficult given the space, before he knelt before Pegasus. The sudden movement, however, had made his head swim. His vision blurred and the lights certainly didn't help. _Throb_.

 _Throb_.

 _Throb_.

Kaiba was loathe to admit it, but he should have removed his coat. It was suddenly quite…warm in here. Chills danced down his spine but he felt a hot flush travel over the other side of his body. And then he just…

"Seto!" Pegasus cried out as he moved forward. He caught the CEO before his head hit the floor. The man pulled him closer, into his grasp as he pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. From the movement, his knee knocked into the deck of cards and spilled them over the floor. "You're feverish. No wonder you agreed to have me over." He commented with just a hint of dryness.

Kaiba mumbled something incoherent. It was definitely a growl though. When his eyes opened, he found himself on his back. The coolness of the floor could be felt through is clothes, even his jacket. Yet it wasn't all cool, he realized, as there was warmth on his upper back and neck. When he shifted, he realized that it was Pegasus's thigh.

"Well," Pegasus spoke softly, "no duels today."

"Forfeiting." Kaiba mumbled an accusation.

Pegasus scoffed lightly before flicking his hair over his shoulder. "How would you have beaten me then?" How long before the elevator started to work again? It had been an annoyance to be trapped in here for an undisclosed amount of time before. But now with Kaiba ill? The older CEO wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was worried. "When was the last time you drank something more than coffee?" Keep him talking, he thought.

"I had a glass of water with breakfast." When Pegasus emitted a noise of surprise, Kaiba frowned, "What? Is it so surprising that I drink water?"

"No, I'm more baffled by the fact that you ate breakfast." Pegasus admitted.

"Breakfast _was_ a cup of coffee."

Pegasus gave a weak chuckle. "Of course it was." He shook his head. "Well, no matter. Fluids would have helped prevent this, certainly would have helped now, but we have none. The next best thing would be to take off this jacket."

It was the sudden movement of the man pushing Kaiba up to pull his jacket off that made the brunette more alert. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm," Pegasus grimaced at the flailing body, "trying to help! Kaiba, stop…ugh!" He sighed sharply as he let his hands fall to either side of his body. "Kaiba, we need to keep you cool before the fever reaches beyond our control in this…"

Casket. If the fever raised too high, this elevator could easily turn into a coffin.

Some bit of logic settled in Kaiba's tired mind. _Throb_. Ah, so the throbbing had returned. He took that as a good sign, for it had gone away once he fell. "Fine." He spoke through gritted teeth.

With a bit of relief, Pegasus helped him to be free of his jacket. He took a moment to fold it fairly nice before setting it beside his own. He leaned forward over Kaiba, who rested partly on his lap, and unbuttoned his sleeves. He rolled them up just enough to rest on his elbows, exposing more flesh to the cool air. Thank goodness, he thought, that Kaiba Corp kept their place so cold.

"I would have removed any trap cards you placed down, early on." Kaiba said so suddenly that it took Pegasus a moment to comprehend what he was talking about.

When he did, he grinned. "Ah, to lessen the chance of the Dragon Capture Jar holding your dragons hostage. Not a bad idea." They fell silent for another moment. There was just the humming of the emergency lights above. Every now and then a slight click of something or another. Their breathing, both of them steady and calm, echoed in the small enclosure.

They both seemed to drift into their own thoughts. In such musings, Pegasus' fingers had found their way to Kaiba's forehead, brushing away the strands of hair. He continued his ministrations, stroking his hair absent mindedly. He wondered what was going on in Kaiba's head right then and there. Was he going through the recent invoices he received? The latest stock market numbers?

Unbeknownst to him, Kaiba's thoughts were…non-existent. Whether from weariness or the sickness, Seto had no energy to protest Pegasus' touch. As they continued, he felt the irritation to smack his hand away slowly diminish. Not extinguish as he would fiercely protest any enjoyment from it later, but diminish enough to simply let it happen.

It comforted. It relaxed. It…quieted all the numbers that listed in his head, cleared the lengthy to-do list. Later, he would blame the fever. Right now? Right now he let his eyes slowly close though his body did not relent entirely.

Pegasus looked down after a long moment. His hand nearly stopped to see the sight. Brow relaxed, eyes nearly closed, jaw not quite so set. Kaiba-boy looked relaxed. That wasn't the word that made Pegasus' heart ache sharply. No, it was that…

Kaiba was _comfortable_ enough with him to allow such a display.

After everything that had happened just a few years ago. After the hell he put Kaiba through. After…after it all, he was comfortable and trusting enough to let Pegasus touch him, to let him see him in such a state. Not just a sickly state, as how could one control that? No, but of the state of…vulnerability. His guard down.

Pegasus swallowed thickly. His hand trembled. His breathing shuddered.

It was enough to bring Kaiba out of his meditative-like state. Without opening his eyes, he spoke in the familiar snarky tone, "How is it possible that you are capable of being loud even in breath?"

A short laugh left him, tight. His epiphany had a lingering effect. "A talent, so I'm told. I'm quite good at it…it is called being alive." His joke came off far darker than he intended, at least it fell on his ears as such. This time, his hand did stop. His fingers twitched, tempted to pull away. For a split second, darkness overtook his way of thinking, a familiar friend from shortly after Duelist Kingdom. To touch Kaiba was to poison the…

Kaiba's eyes were open now, observing the struggle on Pegasus' face. The emergency lights perhaps drew out more features and reactions than normal lights would have. It was not clear whether or not Kaiba caught the dark edge. "One of your many talents." He mumbled.

Pegasus' hand started to stroke his hair once again. It was steady enough, more so than just a moment or two ago. Confident once more. Kaiba wondered faintly if he had…

The lights turned on. They both groaned and covered their eyes, wincing. _Throb_.

Two beeps later, the elevator doors opened. They were on floor sixteen. The pair looked up at the empty hallway then at each other. Kaiba sat up and winced, his head protesting. Damn the lights! Pegasus handed him his jacket before collecting his fallen cards.

The two men stood, putting their jackets on. The silence between them wasn't as awkward as either had expected. It was only when Kaiba made to step out did Pegasus hold his arm out. Kaiba's chest met with it.

Immediately a familiar growl came out, "What are you doing?"

Pegasus hit the Ground floor button, removing his arm only when the doors shut. What was the hurry anyway? He was momentarily distracted by how Seto felt even with the shirt. "Taking you home. You nearly passed out. No duel, not tonight." Gone was the cheeky smiles and teasing tones. In place was a tone with an edge of command. Just an edge, for he knew how Seto took orders – not very well.

"What?! I am not sick, I demand that you duel me! What was the point in visiting in that case?!"

Pegasus winced at how his near shout echoed in the elevator. _Throb_. The numbers above were single-digit now. "Alright, fine." He held his hand up, deck still resting in it, and nodded to Kaiba's briefcase. "We shuffle one another's deck, as per usual, and then we draw a card from our own. Whoever has the highest Attack points, or a trap card, will win."

Kaiba's gaze didn't flicker from Pegasus' face. He contemplated it before nodding, opening his briefcase just enough to dig out his deck. _Throb_. It was too good a chance to pass up Pegasus cutting his precious hair to flat out reject him. Luck, he still sneered, more than skill. Annoying but…he would stomach it this once.

They traded decks. Their fingers brushed against one another. Kaiba shivered and blamed the fever. Pegasus's lips parted ever so slightly.

Ding.

Before shuffling the cards, Pegasus stepped out of the elevator with the younger CEO following behind, least the doors close once more. They stood in the hallway, security noting them lightly but otherwise left them alone.

Thirty seconds later of shuffling, they stopped. Kaiba held up Pegasus' deck in his palm while the same curtesy was paid to him. Simultaneously the pair reached over and picked up the first card.

Kaiba drew Monster Reborn.

Pegasus drew the Happy Lover. Attack points 800.

The older man gave a short laugh of relief. That was a close one! "I win, Kaiba-boy!" And his hair would remain untouched for another day!

"What?" _Throb_. "No, you said…"

"Trap card would win. Magic, by that logic, is an automatic lose." Lucky for him, Kaiba wasn't in the best state to argue past that. "In any case," Pegasus flipped his hair over his shoulder, "let us go."

"What do you mean 'us?" Kaiba's eyes narrowed suspiciously. _Throb_. "Go where?"

"Why, to your home of course! You don't think I'd let you go straight back to work when you return, do you? We both know you want to." Pegasus grinned. "And you can't say no because that is what I won." At Kaiba's look of confusion, he added, "You never waited for me to say what I wanted if I won. You effectively gave me a free pass. I choose to escort you home and to bed!"

 _Throb_.

"Pegasus…" Kaiba growled threateningly.

"Come now, Kaiba-boy, don't be such a sore loser!" Pegasus tsked. "Now let's go before I call Mokuba and tell him you swooned into my lap."

 _Throb_.

"I did no such thing!" Kaiba protested sharply, gripping his briefcase. "Keep your voice down! The last thing I need is a journalist to hear your lies."

"It isn't a lie." Pegasus nearly sung as they walked outside.

Kaiba cursed his luck.


End file.
